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Vietnamese Pyramid Dumpling (Banh Gio) is very common breakfast in Northern Vietnam. Banh Gio directly translates to “pork cake” which unfortunately doesn’t sound too appetizing but don’t let the name fool you. It is a tasty pyramid-shaped rice dumpling filled with ground pork, onions, minced Woodear mushroom and sometimes quail eggs for a heartier version. Everything is wrapped together in a banana leaf then steamed.

If you walk the streets of Vietnam, you will get bombarded with an array of amazing smells from the abundance of street food all around you. One famous street foods that not only can you smell, but hear is Banh Xeo (Vietnamese sizzling crepe/pancake)

Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls or, Bánh Cuốn, are thin sheets of steamed rice batter filled with ground pork, jicama and wood ear mushrooms. The rice rolls get a glaze of scallion oil and a sprinkle of crispy fried shallots, then served on a bed of fresh thinly sliced cucumbers, chopped lettuce, Vietnamese herbs, blanched bean sprouts and slices of Vietnamese sausage (Chả Lụa). All of this is served with a side of Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce (Nước Mắm Chấm).

Banh Beo are steamed savory rice cakes. Banh is cake in Vietnamese and Beo is the delicate white flower of a water fern that the steamed rice cake resembles. Locals in Vietnam usually graze all day, and Banh Beo can be one of many small meals that they eat. You will find Banh Beo made by many street vendors in Vietnam, but the best ones are the vendors who solely make this dish, who have been making it for many years, and who make you sit on small plastic stools that threaten to break at any given moment.

Banh Khot, or Vietnamese savory mini pancakes, is made from a batter of rice flour, corn starch, tumeric powder and coconut milk. The batter is fried on a cast iron Banh Khot or Aebleskiver frying pan to crispy perfection on the outside and fluffy on the inside. These mini pancakes are topped with shrimp, brushed with scallion oil and sprinkled with a dash of toasted minced dried prawns. They come with a plate stacked high in Vietnamese herbs and a small bowl of spicy and sweet dipping sauce.